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Moulton says he'll take on Congress, politics

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, at Bedford Town Hall. STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE/STEPHANIE MURRAY

BEDFORD -- U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton told constituents he's setting his sights on health care, Social Security and new leadership in the Democratic Party.

At a town hall event that drew more than 200 people for an hourlong question-and-answer session. Moulton, elected to represent the state's sixth district in 2014, said his priorities in Congress have shifted to include a greater focus on President Donald Trump and his administration.

"Since the election I've had sort of a different list, and it starts with simply being willing to stand up to the president, to the White House, when he's doing things that assault our values, our constitution and who we are as Americans," Moulton said. "I'll work with him just like I work across the aisle in Congress."

Moulton is a 38-year-old Iraq veteran who is trying to get military veterans elected to Congress in other states, and who plans to head to Iowa in September for the Democratic Steak Fry, a fundraiser well-attended by presidential hopefuls.

Besides Bedford, the district includes Billerica, Burlington, Tewksbury and Wilmington.

He said he'd work with the president on issues they agree are important, like infrastructure. He advocated for bipartisan work on health care and called for a "new generation of leadership" in the Democratic Party -- he made waves this year when called for the replacement of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

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"I'm trying to reform my own party because Democrats in America have got to be able to look ourselves in the mirror and say we lost a lot of elections, and in fact we are in the worst electoral position that we've been in decades ... It means we don't have balance in Washington, it means when our president wants to take away health care from 23 million Americans there's no opposition," Moulton said. "We have got to get some new leadership in Democratic Party."

Moulton has endorsed 11 veterans running in out-of-state races for House seats. A member of Moulton's staff said it is unclear whether the Congressman will urge a veteran to run for the Massachusetts third district seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas in 2018.

Moulton condemned violence at a deadly protest in Virginia on Saturday where white nationalists clashed with counter protesters. He called on Americans to act as patriots and stand up for values like freedom, liberty and equality.

"If you look closely enough, and it doesn't take that much effort, you can see that we are still a segregated community," Moulton said. "It does matter what color your skin is, it does matter what zip code you're born in ... We are not truly a nation of equality. We haven't yet lived up to that ideal of equal opportunity for all."

During the Q-and-A, Moulton pointed to a shifting economic landscape as a concern. He also said the "gig economy," where people work as independent contractors for tech behemoths like Uber, needs regulation.

"Tech advancement has opened up tremendous opportunities ... most of us don't want to give up all the advancements that we've made, but they have consequences and we've got to face them squarely," Moulton said. "The automated economy looks great if you work at Amazon Robotics right now, but when you're shifting boxes at a warehouse you kind wonder when is one of those robots is going to replace me?"

To adapt, Moulton said, lawmakers should focus on job training for people who lose their jobs later in their careers to enable them to rejoin the workforce. He advocates for forward-thinking education to prepare children for 21st century jobs and said it is time to modernize government regulations.

"What does it mean for health care?" Moulton asked. "When you rely on your employer for health care it is hard to leave your job even if there's a better opportunity down the street."

Moulton criticized Republicans for their legislation to scrap the Affordable Care Act. He said the health care law signed by President Barack Obama has room for improvement, but reform should entail input from both parties. Moulton believes Americans should have the option of single-payer health care.

"That's how we get things done," Moulton said. "Not crafting health care bills, or tax cuts, behind closed doors without a single hearing and without ever involving anyone from the opposite party."

Moulton touched on inequality and the cost of health care, saying all Americans, especially veterans, deserve the best health care available.

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